"DON'T WORRY ABOUT A THING, SPEEDY, YOU'RE DOING A HECK OF A JOB"

The New York Times and CNN are both moving stories indicating that the Bush Cabinet token Hispanic could soon be getting a surprise going-away party, as some Republican leaders are beginning to question Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' continued value in light of recent revelations about the political slaughter of eight U.S. Attorneys.
... And with the President trying to score (one thing or another) in South America this week and unable to to shore up his sinking political ship of state, some of his crew is pondering the jetison of useless cargo. Stand by for the lifeboat drill.

COUNTING THE WALKING WOUNDED

Depending upon whom you choose to believe, at least one-third, or 130,000 of the military personnel who have served in Iraq are out of their freaking minds... That is, after all, the estimation of those suffering from some sort of mental illness brought on by combat. Some estimates put that number as high as 250,000. Yikes.
While I won't dismiss, or even downplay the effects of combat-related stress, I don't have some questions about the numbers, not the least of which is whether a quarter-million men have even cycled through that theater yet. I mean, given the fact that the number of military personnel in-country has ebbed and flowed between 130,000 and 165,000 - with some units doing three or four tours - have 250,000 individual men and women yet been in theater? And if they have, wouldn't that mean the percentage of those affected be closer to 75 or even 100 percent? And if so, what has changed so drasticaly from earlier wars to inflict such a catastrophic casualty rate? Is it the technology of modern warfare? Is it the benchmark definitions of disease? Or is it a gross exageration on the part of those publishing the information?
Certainly I don't know, but if the numbers are correct, what does it mean for the innocent civilians and non-combatants in a country that didn't need to be invaded in the first place? How many of them are suffering from Post-trumatic stress?... So somebody remind me again why this war was a good idea.

WILL THE SIFRITS GET ANOTHER BITE AT THE APPLE?

With the head ballistics dude for the State Police now belly up and the discovery that his credentials - the ones he'd used for some 20 years - discovered to be totally bogus, we pondered sending Worcester County's State's Attorney, Joel Todd, a huge bottle of aspirin to help tamp down the recurrent headache he must get when he ponders the threat that the Sifrits just might get a new freaking trial.
The information that the forensics lab's "expert" came to lite recently when lawyers with The Innocence Project found that the state's ballistics expert claimed to have credentials and education that could not be verified. Confronted with that information, the guy quickly retired, went home, and whacked himself. Reportedly, cops and prosecutors alike are bracing for what now could turn out to be a blizzard of appeals from those whose convictions were based upon ballistic evidence.

OH, YOU KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

Reports from The Center Of The Universe indicate that our beloved and trusted FBI has probably abused it's power to use National Security Letters to spy on Americans. For those who don't know, National Security Letters are a legal form that allows our jack-booted big brothers to access all kinds of private information ( bank records, medical information, mail, and such) without benefit of a warrant, or even Probable Cause. All they need to do is swear that they need the information in the interest of national security.
But an audit, this week turned up evidence the Bureau might have under-reported the number of NSL by about 20 percent. Hmmm, we ask here, why would they do that? Well, if you believe them, it's all a simple accounting oversight. On the other hand, if you don't believe them (and why wouldn't we) it could be that they weren't reported because they could meet even the minimalist guidelines for getting an NSL.... And that would mean....well, maybe you need to draw your own conclusions here.

WHY IS JOHN ATKINS SMILING?

Delaware Republican Rep. John Atkins proved his stupidity this week when the the Ethics Committee opined that he had indeed violated ehtics rules last October, when he was stopped for suspected DUI and speeding in Ocean City. You can read the report HERE.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't think Atkins' stupidity is necessarily evident in the traffic stop.... although, the incident may be a foreshadowing of it. Nor do I think it burst forth in his subsequent arrest for a drunken fight with his wife.... (we really should have the theme music from the movie "Jaws" playing in the background, here.) No, I think the full-blast stupidity came when he asked for the Ethics Committee to investigate and make a ruling (crescendo).

HE'S GONNA NEED A BETTER STREET-NAME FOR THE BIG HOUSE

Scooter Libby fell hard today and a trip to the Big House may be in his future. But, at this point, equally likely is a pardon, or a trade-up with the prosecutors for a bigger fish.... perhaps one with a black heart, greedy soul and a really bad attitude.
If he's destined for prison, he's gonna need a better nickname. A name like "Scooter" is almost a guarantee that a welcoming basket of lipstick and a nightie will be waiting for him when he checks in.

Umm.. PERHAPS WE SPOKE TOO SOON

It seems maybe that model of Republican femininity, Annie Coulter, jumped the shark last week when she called Democratic presidential (yeah, right. Snort. Guffaw.) candidate John Edwards a faggot. CNN is moving a piece this morning saying three major companies, Verizon, NetBank amd Sallie Mae, have pulled their ads from her website. The line forms to the right to say your good-byes.

YOU GO GIRL.... THE DEMS NEED SOMEBODY LIKE YOU WORKING FOR THEM

I'm beginning to take a shine to Ann Coulter. Every time she opens her mouth she seems to shove something in it and it's helping those she claims to despise.

That said, it's nonetheless troubling that she seems to have developed a habit of casting aspersions upon mens' sexuality, and it's got me wondering if perhaps our bottle-blonde little friend is not what she'd like us to believe she is.
In the lexicon of those in the mental health profession, I'm wondering if we're seeing a case of Projection, here. That is, it may seem to some (myself included) that Annie's calling names to deflect attention from the fact that she's a closeted carpet-muncher..... not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. That is, unless you're trying to curry the favor of those whose sex lives are so like Wonder Bread, they need to take exception to anyone else have a better, more interesting one.
But the more I look at this, the more I think I've seen this act before..... Yes, Junior High School, I think it was.... maybe earlier. ... When when puberty was dawning and the questions of sexual identity were first being posed and explored, and certail people would try to mask their insecurities by calling attention to others. Whew, didn't you just hate that? Thank God, it was over and done by high school. ... At least I thought it was.
But now here's Anne Coulter, at the age of what... 39, 40.... doing the same thing. Nobody blooms that late. I mean, she's got a mouth on her like a longshoreman, we never see her in the company of a man, and with a demeanor like hers, she can't afford to be seen with a woman..... People would talk.
But I want her to continue talking. It's alienating the very middle class she claims to be speaking for and drives them to the polls to yank the blue lever. You go girl.